Ahead of the College World Series officially beginning on Friday, teams have arrived in Omaha. Given the opportunity to get on the field at Charles Schwab Field, getting used to the conditions is a huge factor. Many are playing in the stadium for the first time in their lives and being in a new environment can cause some mishaps.
Luckily for Tennessee, they are quite familiar with their surroundings. The Vols are back in the CWS for the second consecutive season and played three games at Charles Schwab Field last year.
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Even so, being a new year, a few players were asked their opinion of the conditions. Hunter Ensley mentioned the rain may have played a factor in the field as Tennessee practiced. He does not seem too worried about things long-term, though.
“Yeah, I think conditions-wise for the field, I think it rained a little bit last night,” Ensley said. “So I think the grass was a little longer and dirt is a little mushy, but I think tomorrow will be fine. Probably cut the grass down a little bit, so it’s not going to be as long. Hopefully, it’s not mud, but if it is, we’ll figure a way out to deal with it.”
As for Drew Beam, he seemed to be happy in the bullpen. Nothing but good words on his end from a pitcher’s perspective. The only thing left to do is go out there and play the real game.
“The bullpen today was pretty sweet,” Beam said. “Bullpens are always pristine here. Just excited to get out there and get to play.”
Tennessee is set to play on Friday off the backs of beating Evansville in the Knoxville Super Regional. Head coach Tony Vitello has turned his program into one of the more consistent in college baseball and what’s missing is some serious success in Omaha.
Florida State will be the first test of the event, with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. ET. Depending on the result, North Carolina or Virginia will be on the other side. A trio of ACC teams for Tennessee to deal with before getting into the College World Series Finals.
All four teams will be hoping the conditions at Charles Schwab Field remain stable. Based on comments from the Tennessee players on Thursday, everything will turn out okay.
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